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Benina International Airport (HLLB) is the principal gateway to Benghazi, Libya, lying some 19 kilometres east of the city and boasting two very long paved runways originally built up during decades of military and civil use. Once a key Axis and then Allied airbase during the North African Campaign of the Second World War, it remains Libya's second-largest airport and the secondary hub of Libyan Airlines and Buraq Air. For a visiting VFR or IFR pilot, its exceptionally long runways, ILS approach and history of conflict-driven closures make it a distinctive and consequential field to plan for.
Benina International Airport serves the city of Benghazi on Libya's northern coast, situated in the borough of Benina roughly 19 kilometres east of the city centre. It is operated by Libya's Civil Aviation and Meteorology Bureau and functions as the secondary hub for both flag carrier Libyan Airlines and Buraq Air. The airfield's huge runway lengths and its layered history, from Italian colonial development through intense fighting in both world wars and the more recent Libyan civil conflict, make it a field of considerable interest to any pilot studying its background before a visit.
Benina lies within Libyan controlled airspace, with Benghazi Approach providing services in the vicinity. The airport sits about 19 kilometres east of Benghazi, from which it takes its name, placing it close to the city's built-up area while remaining clear of it. There are no additional details in the available sources on the classification of surrounding airspace or neighbouring aerodromes.
Benina has two long parallel physical runways. Runway 15R/33L measures 11,775 feet, with a hard surface, lighting, and an ILS on the 33L end. Runway 15L/33R measures approximately 11,774 feet, also hard-surfaced and lit, without an ILS. Both runways are substantial enough to accommodate the largest airliners and military transport types.
Benghazi Approach can be contacted on 126.5 MHz. Arrivals and departures are handled on 127 MHz. Ground movements are coordinated on 121.3 MHz, and the tower frequency is 118.1 MHz. Runway 33L is equipped with an ILS for instrument approaches.
Benina's aviation origins trace back to the Italian colonial period following the 1912 Treaty of Lausanne, when Italy took control of Libya and began expanding infrastructure, including airfields around Benghazi. The Italian Corpo Aeronautico Militare built the Benina airfield to support military campaigns, and it later became a stop on the Imperial Line of the Italian airline Ala Littoria between 1935 and 1941. During the Second Italo-Abyssinian War, Italian forces reportedly used Benina to store sulphur mustard chemical weapons, later discovered by British forces. During the Second World War, Benina became a major Axis airbase under the Regia Aeronautica and later the Luftwaffe, which invested heavily in improving the field. By 1941 it had a single clay runway measuring 1,100 by 230 metres, equipped for night landings, alongside extensive fuel and munitions storage and a satellite airfield at Benina South. Numerous Italian and German bomber, fighter and transport units operated from the base, including aircraft such as the SM.79, CR.32, Ju 52, Ju 88, Bf 110 and Bf 109. Control of the airfield changed hands repeatedly during the North African Campaign as British and Axis forces contested the Benghazi area, with British forces finally securing it at the end of 1942. The British SAS carried out raids on Benina during Operation Bigamy, though accounts differ on their success. From February 1943 the airfield was used by the United States Army Air Forces Ninth Air Force, with the 376th Bombardment Group flying missions from the base. In 1986, as part of Operation El Dorado Canyon, USAF aircraft of the 48th Tactical Fighter Wing attacked Benina alongside Tripoli, causing heavy damage to aircraft and cratering the runways. In more recent times, the airport has been affected by Libya's civil conflicts: it closed in May 2014 amid clashes between militias and forces loyal to General Khalifa Haftar, with international flights suspended by August 2014. It reopened for limited commercial flights in July 2017, and by 2025 was again handling multiple international services.
Benina International Airport continues to operate as a civil airport serving Benghazi, functioning as the secondary hub for Libyan Airlines and Buraq Air, with international flights resumed after the 2014 to 2017 closure period. A new terminal and additional runway works were contracted in 2008 under a major infrastructure project, though the sources do not confirm the current status of that development. There is no information in the available sources regarding fuel availability, opening hours, or whether prior permission is required for visiting pilots.
